be prospective from this date and not retroactive. Many paroles have been taken by us from the enemy in the field in the South and Southwest; many in Stoneman's late expedition and have been accounted for. I shall meet Mr. Ould to-morrow and serve upon him copies of Orders 49 and 100, with notice that article 7 of cartel must be literally compiled with.

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

Copy to Honorable E. M. Stanton.)

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, Va., May 22, 1863.

Honorable ROBERT OULD, Agent for Exchanged of Prisoners.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose to you copies of General Orders,* No. 49 and No. 100, of War Department, announcing regulations and instructions for the government of the U. S. forces in the field in the matter of paroles. These together with the stipulations of the cartel will govern our army. I would invite your special attention to article 7 of the cartel which provides that all prisoners of war shall be sent to places of delivery therein specified. The execution of this article will obviate much discussion and difficulty growing out of mode, time and place of giving paroles. No paroles or exchanges will be considered binding except those under the stipulations of said article and permitting commanders of two opposing armies to exchange or release on parole at other points mutually agreed on by said commanders.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, Va., May 22, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM H. LUDLOW, Agent of Exchange.

SIR: You are very well aware that for the last six months I have been presenting to you lists of Confederate officers and soldiers and Confederate citizens who have been detained by your authorities in their prisons. Some of these on my remonstrance have been released and sent to us. By far the greater number remain in captivity. I am satisfied that you have made strenuous exertions to have these persons released and to carry out in good faith the agreements which we have made. Even those exertions have proved of little avail. Nothing now remains but for me to give you formal notice that our Government will resort to retaliation in every case which has heretofore been brought to your attention where the wrong complained of has not been redressed. The Confederate authorities will exercise their discretion in selecting such prisoners as they think best, whether officers or privates, in this purpose of retaliation. You will be notified in each case. I am now preparing a list of officers and men such as are reserved for retaliation. As soon as the parties for whom they are held are delivered to us the hostages will be released. I have thus frankly informed you of our purposes before they are put into actual execution for the double purpose of preventing any imputation of bad faith and of giving you an opportunity of saving a resort to so stern

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*Omitted here; see pp. 306 and 671 for these orders.

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